Multi-bus programmable interconnect architecture

Abstract

A programmable interconnect system having a plurality of PICs connected via a plurality of buses where each bus may have two or more branches connecting the PICs is disclosed. Generally speaking, for a system with N PICs, there can be N−1 different type of buses having 2 to N corresponding branches to the N PICs. For example, for a four PIC programmable interconnect system, there can be three types of buses connecting the PICs, a two-branch bus, a three-branch bus, and a four-branch bus. Note that the term “bus” refers to one or more signal paths connecting the PICs. For each type of buses, there can be several layouts.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A programmable interconnect system for selectively interconnecting user components, comprising: 
       a plurality of programmable interconnect units each having a plurality of programmable input and output terminals for routing signals to and from user components and among the programmable interconnect units; and  
       a plurality of interleaving buses each including one or more signal pathways connecting the terminals of two or more of said programmable interconnect units, wherein each of said buses connects adjacent ones of said programmable interconnect units, and some of said plurality of buses connect different combinations of at least three or more of said plurality of adjacent programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner.  
     
     
       2. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein the signal pathways of all of said buses have the same number of branches. 
     
     
       3. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  2  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner forming a ring structure. 
     
     
       4. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  3  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner forming a symmetrical ring structure. 
     
     
       5. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  3  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form a two-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       6. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  3  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form a three-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       7. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein the signal pathways of some of said buses have different numbers of branches. 
     
     
       8. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  7  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner to form a ring structure. 
     
     
       9. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  8  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner forming a symmetrical ring structure. 
     
     
       10. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  8  wherein the buses connects the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form a two-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       11. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  8  wherein the buses connects the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form a three-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       12. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein certain ones of said buses connect neighboring programmable interconnect units to form clusters of programmable interconnect units, and certain other ones of said buses further connect said clusters. 
     
     
       13. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  12  wherein relatively more buses connect said programmable interconnect units forming said clusters than buses connect said clusters. 
     
     
       14. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein each of said programmable interconnect units is comprised of one or more physical programmable interconnect chips. 
     
     
       15. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein said programmable interconnect units include a number of physical programmable interconnect chips that are evenly distributed on two opposite sides of a user component for connecting the user component. 
     
     
       16. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein selected one of said programmable interconnect unit is programmed to connect two or more of selected ones of said buses. 
     
     
       17. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  1  wherein selected ones of said programmable interconnect units connected to the same bus are time-multiplexed. 
     
     
       18. A programmable interconnect system, comprising: 
       a plurality of programmable interconnect units each having a plurality of programmable input and output terminals for routing signals to and from user components and among the programmable interconnect units; and  
       a plurality of interleaving buses each including one or more signal pathways connecting the terminals of two or more of said programmable interconnect units, wherein each of said buses connects programmable interconnect units that are physically adjacent to each other, and some of said buses connect different combinations of at least three or more of said plurality of adjacent programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner.  
     
     
       19. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein the signal pathway of all said buses have the same number of branches. 
     
     
       20. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  19  wherein said buses connect said programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner to form a ring structure. 
     
     
       21. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  20  wherein the buses connect said programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner to form a symmetrical ring structure. 
     
     
       22. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  20  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form a two-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       23. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  20  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form a three-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       24. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein the signal pathway of some of said buses have different numbers of branches. 
     
     
       25. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  24  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner to form a ring structure. 
     
     
       26. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  25  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in an interleaving manner forming a symmetrical ring structure. 
     
     
       27. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  25  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form two-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       28. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  25  wherein the buses connect the programmable interconnect units in a manner to form three-dimensional ring structure. 
     
     
       29. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein certain ones of said buses connect neighboring programmable interconnect units to form clusters of programmable interconnect units, and certain other ones of said buses further connect said clusters. 
     
     
       30. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  29  wherein relatively more buses connect said programmable interconnect units within each said cluster than buses connect said clusters. 
     
     
       31. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein each of said programmable interconnect units includes one or more physical programmable interconnect chips. 
     
     
       32. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein a programmable interconnect unit is comprised of a number of physical programmable interconnect chips that are evenly distributed on two opposite sides of a user component for connecting the using component. 
     
     
       33. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein selected one of said programmable interconnect unit connects two or more of selected ones of said buses. 
     
     
       34. A programmable interconnect system as recited in claim  18  wherein selected ones of said programmable interconnect units connected to the same bus are time-multiplexed.